Combination ballot box and register



(No Model.)

F. M. BENNETT.

COMBINATION BALLOT BOX AND REGISTER. No. 582,153.

Patented May 4,1897.

' UNITED SrA'rEs PATENT @EEicE. I

FRANCIS M. BENNETT, OE NElV SITE, MISSISSIPPI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOEMILY CAVXESS, OF ELMA, MISSISSIPPI.

COMBINATEUN BALLQT 80X AND REGESTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 582,153, dated May1897.

Application filed October 24, 1896. Serial No. (309,913. (No modelf;

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, FRANCIS M. BENNETT, residing at New Site, in thecounty of Prentiss and State of Mississippi, have in ven ted anew andImproved Combination Ballot Box and Register, of which the following isa specification.

This lllVOlltlOll is a ballot-box register, the object being to providean automatic registerin g mechanism in connection with a ballotbox, sothat each and every ballot will be properly registered, so that anabsolutely accurate count is insured.

Another object is to provide a combination ballot box and register inwhich the registering mechanism is arranged in the cover of the box, sothat the said mechanism will not be disturbed when the box is opened.

Another object is to provide a combination ballot box and register inwhich the registering takes place simultaneously with the depositing ofthe ballot, and one in which it is impossible to deposit a vote withoutregistering.

With these various objects in view my invention consists of a box havinga cover provided with an opening, a pair of contactingrolls journaledbetween the sides of the cover and below the opening, a movable ribbonor tape, and a registering-pencil adapted to be pressed against theribbon or tape, said ribbon or tape being moved as the ballot is passedbetween the rolls, said rolls being revolved to pass the ballot. Theinvention consists also in certain details of construction and noveltiesof combination, all of which will be fully described, and hereinafterpointed out in the claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is aperspective view or my combination ballot box and register. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal sectional view. Fig.

is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig.

I11 carrying out my invention I employ a box A, having a cover 13 hingedthereto, said cover having an opening 0 in the top thereof andjourna-led between the sides of the cover, and beneath the opening arethe contactingrolls D and E, the roll D being positively o journaled,while the roll E is j ournaled in a slot F and held in close contactwith the roll D by means of spring-arms G, fixed upon the inner sides ofthe cover and hearing at their full ends upon the journals of the rollE. It will thus be understood that the rolls are normally in contact,but when a ballot is introduced between them the roll E moves away fromthe roll D, the slot and springs permitting such movement.

A ribbon or tape II is rolled upon a shaft I, said shaft being preventedfrom turning backward by means of a pawl or ratchet I and 1 The ribbonor tape II is then passed around a guide-roll K, up along the side of atransverse partition Ii, over a guide-roll M, and is then attached to awinding-shaft N. An operating-gear O is mounted upon the end of theshaft N and is provided with an operating-handle P, said gear meshingwith a gear It, mounted upon the end of the roll D, so that when theshaft N is revolved the rolls D and E will also be revolved. Thus when aballot is introduced between the rolls D and E the gears are revolved,thus drawing the ballot down between the rolls and moving the tape orribbon along, and in order to make a recording impression upon the saidtape or ribbon I employ a pencil S, which is supported in a pendentsupport T, said pencil having a head V, which is curved to bear againstthe roll E, and between the support T and head V is a spring whichnormally holds the point of pencil away from the tape or ribbon, butwhen a ballot is introduced and passed between the rolls 1) and E theroll E is forced back and the point of the pencil is brought intocontact with the ribbon or tape, the said ribbon or tape passing betweenthe pencil and partition, so that a rigid back is provided. Thus as theballot is deposited and the ribbon or tape wound on the shaft N animpression is registered upon the said ribbon or tape, and as thisoccurs as each ballot is deposited it is clear that the impressions onthe ribbon or tape must be equal to the number of votes polled.

A pawl-and-ratchet mechanism prevents the backward movement of the shaftN, and thus maintains the ribbon or tape in ataut condition.

A guard X is arranged beneath the rolls D and E and across the ribbon ortape to prevent the ballots coming in contact with the said ribbon ortape, said ballots falling down into the box, from which they can beremoved by the proper officer who holds the key to the box, it being ofcourse understood the cover is kept locked during the balloting.

In operation the ballot is placed between the rolls and the gearrevolved to draw the ballot into the box, and the insertion and passageof the ballot moves the roll E back, which forces the pencil against theribbon or tape, and as the said ribbon or tape is being moved along amark will be produced upon the same, and as a mark is made as eachballot is deposited it is clear that the number of marks must correspondwith the number of ballots polled.

It will thus be seen that I provide an exceedingly cheap, simple, andefficient constrnction of ballot-box and register, and one in which theballot will not interfere with the registering mechanism, inasmuch asthe said mechanism is contained wholly Within the cover of the box.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a ballot-box provided with a suitable opening, the combination ofa pair of rolls located beneath said opening, one of which is movablyjournaled, a pencil located in the rear of said roll and adapted to beoperated by the said roll when it is moved, a ribbon or tape carried bya roll j ournaled in the ballotbox and adapted to pass in front of thepenoil, a roll on which the said tape or ribbon is wound, and suitablemechanism for simultaneously operating the pair of rolls and the ribbonor tape rolls, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a ballot-box provided with a suitable opening the combination of apair of rolls journaled beneath said opening and having one of themmovable in its bearing, a suitable support within the box, a pencilworking in said support and provided with a head which bears against themovable roll, a roll carrying a ribbon or tapejonrnalod in saidballot-box, a second roll journaled within the box on which said tape orribbon is wound, suitable guide-rolls intermediate these rolls forpassing the ribbon or tape in front of the pencil, and suitablemechanism for simultaneously operating the pair of rolls and thetapo-rolls when a ballot is inserted in the box, substantially as shownand described.

FRANCIS M. lll lNNl l'Pl.

Witnesses:

W. POYALL, R. ll. ((min'xs.

